Gilles Peterson is arguably the world's most respected radio DJ and record selector, and he's coming to Australia for a special performance at Melbourne Music Week, and will deliver a keynote, 'The Psychology of DJing' (alongside Greg Wilson), at Sydney's Electronic Music Conference.
The BBC radio personality and DJ in his own right says his appearance at Melbourne Music Week is coming at a time when the city is among the best in the world for producing electronic music.
“There are five cities in the world that I think are really at the forefront of some real excitement coming out, and Melbourne is certainly one of those cities that I look out for,” Gilles says.
“As a DJ when I'm playing my radio shows, if people say 'this is coming from Melbourne' I'm always going to give it a bit of extra attention because it feels to me as if there is a real hotbed of activity and competition, which is obviously a very good thing.”
It's high praise from a man considered an influential tastemaker and purveyor of new and interesting electronic music.
In fact, Gilles says the past ten years have seen Australia become a powerful player in the electronic music scene. “I used to like going to New Zealand as well because there was an interesting parallel music scene going on over there, which was a bit stronger actually for my music back in the '90s,” he says.
“But of course in the past ten years or so Australia has very much fought back and become one of the most important leaders in electronic music, new music, jazz and related music. So it's a really important place for me to come and listen to music, check out the community and be inspired.”
At Melbourne Music Week, Gilles will be DJing a set of jazz, funk, tropocalia and everything in between, alongside home-grown performances from Swooping Duck, Mandarin Dreams All Stars, Crown Ruler Sound System and Lori.
Gilles says the role of artist is one he's had to transition into over a long period of time. “I never considered myself an artist, I was just a collector or fan,” he says.
“As time's gone on I appreciated that artists come in all different kinds of ways, so for me the artistry of DJing and the art of DJing is something that I'm always very interested in and something I'm always trying to develop personally.
“That constantly shifts because tastes constantly shift, the way people listen to music and how they react to music constantly shifts. So for me, to be somebody who is constantly on the road has allowed me to be able to understand the shift in the world's reactions to the DJing.”
Though he is unsure of exactly what he'll be presenting at Melbourne Music Week, audiences are in for the full Gilles Peterson treatment that includes his MC, General Rubbish. “It's difficult to know at the moment what I'll do, I'm just going to bring all my stuff with me,” he says.
“I've got my MC who does sounds and effects for me as well. If I run out of inspiration he comes along with some weird sounds and brings me back, so we're quite an interesting dream team or nightmare team depending on who you are.”
Gilles Peterson Tour Australia 2018
Wed 14 Nov - Electronic Music Conference (Sydney)Sun 18 Nov - Summer Dance (Sydney)
Wed 21 Nov - Melbourne Music Week
Sat 24 Nov - Sets On Beach (Perth)
